Picking Dandelions
by CowGirl7384
Summary: Post-Mockingjay. Spoilers if you haven't read all of the books! Peeta and Katniss deal with what happened during the rebellion and both have to deal with Gale and his stubborness. Some surprises with Peeta. Bad at Summaries, sorry!
1. Chapter 1

Peeta and Katniss

Chapter 1

There she is. Her blonde hair makes her stick out from all of the rest and I start walking to her. I wrap my arms around her and then tuck in the back of her shirt like I do every day.

"You silly duck." I say and we both laugh.

We're walking through the meadows and I look over at her to put emphasis on my story and she's on fire. I rip my jacket off and start trying to get the fire to go out. I push her to the ground and try to get her to roll but she just sits there like she's paralyzed, stiff. My surroundings change. We're in the capitol and the memories come flooding back even though they've never happened. In my nightmares that is. I try to reach her. I'm clawing at the ground beneath me and the other kids that are injured around me trying to get to her but I can't. I don't move one inch. I see them coming and I know I can't let them take me away but they do and then everything goes black. I sit up and bed and scream her name. I'm sweating but I feel freezing. I imagine the smell of roses in my room and I bolt up. I put my father's hunting coat on and my boots and run down the stairs; unaware of the tremendous amount of noise I am making. I fling myself out of the door and towards Peeta's house. I run through the door and lock it as soon as I am inside. Before I can call his name he's at my side pulling me close.

"Shh…it's ok. You're going to be ok. You're safe. I'm here." He continues to say it over and over again.

"It was so real…" I say through the sobs that are racking my body.

"I know…I know…but it wasn't."

"Yes it was! It was real! It happened!"

"No…no, Katniss. Don't believe it."

"But she really is dead!" I sob into his shoulder and he looks at me like he's horrified. He pulls me back towards him and his arms tighten around me. After 20 minutes of me crying into his shirt he picks me up and carries me over to the couch in both arms. He sets me down in his lap and strokes my hair until I fall asleep.

I wake up the next morning sleeping on the couch. Peeta's on the other couch and the way he's sleeping so uncomfortably that I think he was watching me all night. Worried. Concerned. It makes me smile at how protective he is. I stand up and take the blanket that was on top of me and cover Peeta with it. I wipe the blonde hair off of his forehead and kiss his cheek. I slip over to my house and get into the shower where I stay for half an hour. I dress in my normal clothes and then head for her grave. She's buried next to the rubble of our old Seam house. I sit down next to the headstone and play with the grass and with the dandelions that are mixed in with the green. I talk to her for two hours though it only seems like it's been 30 minutes. I look up in the sky and see the sun is high above me.

"I miss you little duck." I say before I pick one more dandelion and head back to the victor village.

The houses come into view and I see Peeta on the front steps of mine. I smile because I'm happy to see him but then he looks up at the sound of my footsteps and his face is creased with worry and fear. I run to him because I know what has been going through his mind.

"I'm sorry, I should have left a note or something!" I say as he wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his head in my neck. He's silent for a moment.

"Or woke me up." I feel horrible now. It was stupid for me to leave like that. "Why did you leave like that, Katniss?" I pull back so that I can look him in the eyes.

"I…I had to do it alone."

"Do what?"

"I went to go see Prim." I say in a strong voice. His face immediately softens.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Peeta…" I object. He smiles at me and reaches down to kiss me on the forehead.

"Come one…I have Lunch." He pulls me towards his house and we eat cheesy bread and sliced meat for lunch. I help Peeta clean up his kitchen.

"I should go." He looks disappointed but doesn't say anything but goodbye and be safe. I leave the dandelion on the table before I go back to my house. I'm not sure what to do. There is so much time on my hands anymore and I have hunted so much I'm not sure what to do with the meat. I look around and everything is clean. I don't cook like Peeta. I'm not a talented artist, like Peeta. I sigh in frustration and look out the window. More frustration. There is a pile of glass liquor bottles in Haymitch's yard and so I decide, that is what I'll do. I have nothing else to do and I refuse to look out my window to see a garbage dump. I grab a garbage bag and start throwing everything in the yard into it. I reach for a bottle and cut my hand clear open on it. Stupid Haymitch! I think but I just clench my teeth and will myself not to cry in his front yard.

"Gosh dangit!" I say and Peeta is poking is head around the corner. I'm confused now. There is no way he heard that from his house and got here that fast.

"Katniss…are you ok?" He asks before he sees my hand.

"Not really." I say and drop the bag. I walk over to him and I'm squeezing my hand but blood keeps flowing.

"Haymitch…" He mutters a swear at him and then pulls me towards my house. He sets me down at the counter before reaching for my first aid stuff that my mother left behind. He puts some cream on it and then wraps it in a bandage. I wince a few times and he tries to do it quickly and with as little pain as possible. I smile at him when he's finished.

"Thank you." I say sweetly. He smiles at me and it almost seems like a laugh.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"You just sounded so…innocent."

"Maybe I am." I tell him. He looks at me like he's trying to figure me out and then goes back to trying to put the kit back together. I stand up and start to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Peeta sounds surprised that I'm even walking.

"I'm going to finish what I was doing."

"Katniss you just cut your hand open trying to clean up his mess. Just let him live in it."

"I'm tired of looking at it, Peeta." I defend myself. I'm not an idiot and I know that Peeta didn't want to make me feel that way but it made me feel that way just a little.

"Then at least let me help you." I smile and shake my head yes. We go out to the yard and finish, carefully.

"Thanks for the help." I say as we're lugging the garbage to the giant dumpster we all share.

"No problem." He says. We stand there awkwardly before I say that I'm going back to my place and Peeta agrees before we head separate ways. I feel emptiness when he leaves and I almost want him to come back. I go inside and sit at the counter; staring at my 'wounded' hand. That's when the phone rings and my heart starts pumping because it's either Peeta or it's bad news. I pick it up and give a sweet, "Hello?"

"Hey Catnip."

**My first Hunger Games FF. I hope ya'll like it. I've been trying to write it forever so I've got a lot of ideas and hopefully ya'll are gonna love em'! If you've got any requests leave a review and I'll check it out! Thanks **


	2. Chapter 2

Peeta and Katniss

Chapter 2

No. No. I can't talk to him right now. I never thought I would talk to him and today, today he chooses to call.

"Catnip?"

"Please don't call me that." I snap. There is silence for a moment.

"Sorry." I don't want to say anything to him right now. "How are you?"

"Why are you calling, Gale?" I ask. My heart is pounding and I wish that Peeta were here to slow it down.

"Is now a bad time?" He asks like nothing is wrong.

"It's never going to be a good time, Gale."

"Why do you hate me so much!" He finally snaps at me and it almost makes me afraid.

"You know why Gale."

"Because you think I killed Prim!" When he says it it's like my throat closes and tears are in my eyes. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. "Katniss, I was simply involved in the design. A lot of people were involved in the situation. You were involved. So why is it me that you hate so much?"

"You don't think that I am angry with myself. I'm furious with myself for letting my sister be in that situation. I'm furious with Beetee. I'm furious with all the officials of 13. I'm furious with my mother that she let Prim go!" I start yelling at him and I wonder if Peeta or Haymitch can hear me. "You don't think that I think about that every day? Because I do. I just never thought that you would be the one that I would be angry with." He's breathing so heavily I can hear it through the phone. I'm about to hang up when he speaks again.

"I called to tell you that they are planning the re-opening of 12. They want me to be there. That's all." Before I can hear any more that he has to say I hang up the phone. It rings again but I just sit in the corner and cry for a while. Then I get up and pace the room, wondering what I should be doing. I'm pretty calm and it surprises me and then the anger kicks in. I throw a vase at the wall and break a mirror because I'm tired of looking at my scarred skin. My hand starts to bleed again and I just let the bandage fall off and the blood drip from my hand. The door creeks open and Haymitch steps in.

"Holy…"

"Don't. Please. Just leave." I whimper and he hesitates but closes the door. Not surprisingly. But my privacy only lasts for a minute and Peeta bursts through the door.

"Katniss…" He says and there are tears in his eyes. He just looks full of pain and distress.

"Just leave me. I'll be with her and I won't bother you anymore." I tell him. I bother him every day with my nightmares and my worries and my pain. He never runs to my bed at night because of the nightmares that threaten his sleep.

"Oh, god, Katniss what has gotten into you?" He runs over to me and picks me up. He sits me on the counter and I just want to slouch back on the floor but I don't. He wraps my hand up and then holds my face in his hands.

"Katniss. You never, ever bother me. I pray every night that you rely on me." He makes me take a bath after that. He waits in my living room while I'm in the bathtub and he makes sure that I don't lock the door. I come out 20 minutes later and he stands up. I'm dressed in my most comfy pajamas tonight. He holds his hand out and I'm not sure what to do. I notice that all of the messes I've made are cleaned up and he's taken the mirror away.

"I don't know what to do…" I say as tears seem to sting my eyes and my voice cracks. I know that Peeta is feeling the pain just as much as I am. He told me once that it hurts him more to see me in pain than it does feeling his own pain. He pulls me close to him and leads me to the door.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"I want you to stay with me tonight." He says confidently and I go along with it. We walk over to his house and I'm shivering after the short distance in the cool air.

"Come here…" He whispers and sits me down on the couch with a warm blanket. He goes to the kitchen and makes hot tea for the both of us. I sip my tea and he sits down on the other couch which makes me sad; I want him next to me. He's completely silent. I'm not sure if I want to talk about it but I'm going to because he's the only person that I can trust. Haymitch is no longer an option…I don't even trust my own mother. I take a sip of the warm tea that is sprinkled with cinnamon and honey for courage and open my mouth.

"Gale called me." I state the simple words and it makes me want to go through my act of rage all over again. He stops his hands midway to his mouth and thinks about what I've said. Not angry but not comfortable with it. I know he wants to say something. "It's ok to ask questions, Peeta. You're the only person I can talk about it with."

"…what did he say?" He says hesitantly.

"He was…so casual. He said that I was a part of killing Prim and all those…capitol kids." I'm waiting for the tears to sting my eyes but they seem to be empty. Peeta now looks angry at this. "I yelled at him. I yelled and screamed at him because I know that maybe there was some part of me that could have kept her from the Capitol."

"Katniss…you protected her. You protected her as best you could. I've never seen someone care so much."

"I know. I know that now. But when he said it I started to believe it." We both just look at each other not sure of what our reactions should be.

"He's going to be here." Peeta looks confused so I elaborate. "They are starting the planning for re-opening 12. They want Gale to be there." Peeta's fists clench shut and his knuckles turn white. I walk over to him and sit down next to him. I pull my knees up so that they are partly on his lap and he wraps his arms around my shoulders. He's instantly relaxes.

We fall asleep there. On the couch, Peeta's arm protectively around me and the other belonging to my hands. My head is rested on his shoulder.

I wake up in the morning and Peeta isn't there. Honestly, waking up like this scares me. But I've done it to him so I guess it's like karma or something. I look around the room for Peeta and then I peek out into the hallway.

"Peeta?" No answer. I head for the kitchen and I'm pretty sure that is where he will be. I open the door and sure enough, there he is. There is a pancake on the table; steam is rising from it and there is butter, syrup, and a bowl of strawberries next to it. He turns around and smiles at me even though I know that I look horrible.

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" He acts like nothing has happened. Sleeping beauty. It seems so peaceful.

"Good morning, prince charming." I respond. Peeta chuckles a little bit and I wonder if I've said to much. I love Peeta. There is no doubt now and I don't know how I ever doubted it. I love Peeta. It makes me smile when I say it.

"What are you smiling about?" Peeta asks and he smiles.

"Isn't it ok that I smile?" I ask defensively but jokingly.

"I love it when you smile." He says quietly and I smile bigger. Now is as good of a time as any so I open my mouth as I am preparing my pancake.

"…Do you remember the first time you made me pancakes?" He pulls his eyebrows together and then his eyes get big.

"Oh, Katniss, I'm so sorry! I can make something else!" He starts to pull the plate away and I grab onto it.

"No…Peeta…that's not what I'm going for. It was after Prim's funeral. I slept on your couch and you made me pancakes that morning and you made a face with the strawberries. I actually smiled when I saw it. I think that's when I realized how much I loved you."

**What do you think? All of your reviews are so much appreciated! I hope ya'll like it :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Peeta and Katniss

Chapter 3

Peeta stares at me and blinks several times.

"What?" He says and it makes me smile. I stand up and walk around the counter to where he is standing.

"I love you." I say simply. He doesn't look as happy as I thought he would and it disappoints me.

"Katniss. I don't want to think this way because I've waited for this so long, but are you sure this isn't just because Gale called you today? And because you found out that he is going to be here?"

"Peeta!" I say a little frustrated. "Do you see what he does to me! I tore up my house the moment I hung up with him! Maybe he _was_ my friend but not anymore. He hurt me too much. But that's not the only reason. He was just a friend. You. You Peeta…You I can't live without. I can't survive without. Gale…I could survive. I would move on and so would he. But if you left I would only live…I would not survive…I would sit in my home and only eat when forced to." Finally I am able to say the right words.

"Why, then?" He's waited so long he deserves this.

"I love how much you love me. I love how you care for me. I love it when you cook." I say with a slight laugh. "I love your smile and your laugh because you reserve it for the truly happy moments. And I absolutely love your amazing, deep, blue eyes." The words just keep coming and I'm happy that I can finally say the right thing right now. I'm afraid to look into his eyes but I do. There are tears that are falling from his eyes and down his cheeks.

"I love that you're not afraid to show your emotions." I continue and he smiles and I get all fluttery inside.

"Wow…I'm impressed." I smile because I think that I've convinced him that what I feel is real. It's weird for me to feel this way. I'm not the emotional, lovey dovey type but right now it feels right so I abandon my usual ways.

"I can't really argue with that can I?" Peeta says right before he kisses me straight on the lips and it's more real than that one real kiss we shared in the cave during the first hunger games. I pull away and look him in the eyes. I have to use my words while they are still here.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I kept you waiting all this time. I don't know how I missed it." I say a little teary. He just smiles and laughs quietly to himself.

"It was worth the wait…" I just smile at him and he just stares at me with a smile on his face and his hands around my waist. I put my arms around his neck and it seems like such a peaceful moment and we can finally be happy.

Then it happens. Plutarch and a group of district 13 people burst through the door. My knuckles turn white and I grab onto Peeta, afraid that they are going to take me away from him. His arms stay around my waist and stare at Plutarch.

"Peeta…" He yells and then turns his head towards us. "Oh…are we interrupting something?" He says with a smile and it makes me angry.

"Yeah, kind of. What are you doing here, Plutarch?" Peeta asks sternly.

"Well so much for being friendly." Plutarch murmurs. I put my head on Peeta's shoulder and squeeze my eyes shut. Go away, Plutarch. Go away, I think.

"We're here to begin prepping for the re-opening for District 12."

"I thought that it wouldn't be opening for months."

"Two months. You two have to be with your prep teams and this place needs a lot of work." Plutarch says as he looks around the house and frowns. I want to bite back at him…but I don't. I just cling to Peeta and try to listen to what Plutarch is saying while trying to be as calm as possible. Peeta's grip tightens on my arm little by little just from the fear of authority. I convince Plutarch to give us some time before we have to go with our prep teams and go through the hours of waxing and makeup and skin therapy. When the door shuts behind them I feel exhausted but Peeta does not relax. I can see his jaw is clenched and his hands are in fists.

"Peeta…" His eyes are closed and he's breathing heavy. I wonder if this is one of his flashbacks.

"Peeta. It's ok…I'm here…they're gone now. You're safe, Peeta. Just open your eyes…I'll be right here and I'm waiting." He shakes his head as if to answer my question if it worked. I try to touch his arm but he jerks away. I try to tell him simple things that only I would know. It doesn't help any. I talk about the cave and the garden on the roof of the training center. I don't know what else to do and then I get an idea. It scares me but I have no other option. I gently put my hands on his face and before he can pull away I kiss him. I don't let it last too long. I pull away and look at him. I think he's relaxed but I'm not sure if I'm just imagining it because that's what I want to see. He lets out a long breath and opens his eyes. I never realized how safe they made me feel until this moment and I wrap my arms around him immediately. He does the same and I just want to stay there for a while.

"This is our last day of freedom for a while." Peeta whispers and he's right. With Plutarch and all of his fancy secretaries and prep teams and attendants in District 12 there will be no way to sneak away and do whatever we want all day until they are gone except for today.

"Then get dressed and let's go. Meet me back at my place." I say and I head for the door.

"Katniss…" I stop and turn to him. "Be careful…please." I smile at him and then run out the door and back to my place. I jump in the shower because I feel so grimy and get dressed in clean clothes. It's only been about 20 minutes when I'm ready and when I walk out of my bathroom Peeta's sitting on the floor by my bed.

"Peeta?" I say a little nervous that this is going to be a bad day of flashbacks and bad emotions.

"I just…didn't want you to be alone that long. Not that I need to be with you 24/7. But with Plutarch here…it just brings back all the emotions and feelings that if you leave my sight I won't see you again." I just smile and walk over to him. I put my hand out and pull him up.

"Come on…let's go for a walk."

**Sorry it's been a while :\ I've been really busy and ya know, life tends to do what it wants. Nothing TOO exciting but it's something :) Thanks**


	4. Chapter 4

Peeta and Katniss

Chapter 4

We walk out of the door and down the path towards the town square.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" I ask Peeta after a few minutes of walking.

"What is what going to be like?"

'The reopening. What's so exciting about it?" Peeta's quiet like he's thinking.

"I guess they like to make a big deal out of everything. Trying to get everyone happy about all of this…all of the new things going on around us. It makes sense when you think about it, Katniss." I like at him, horrified.

"Makes sense? How could anything make sense, Peeta?" I've stopped and turned to him. I'm not angry but incredibly confused at how Peeta could seem so calm and okay with everything.

"Katniss…nothing really makes sense. But think about the position Plutarch is in at the moment. You and I both have strong feelings towards him, we know that. But he's trying to rebuild everything. Everyone is still recovering from the rebellion and death and trying to grasp the thought of no more Hunger Games. It's all different…it's foreign to people…to us. They have to make everything seem okay and happy. So they make a celebration of everything." He looks at me like a father does when explaining something to his son. It kind of makes me smile and I'm sure I have a stupid look on my face. I put my fingers between Peeta's and we continue walking.

"I guess I get it. I just sometimes wonder if we're all ready for this. It seems so fast."

"I know. But there are a lot of if's and decisions to make. Someone has to make them and maybe they don't always make the right one but no one is perfect in this world." Peeta always sees the good in people or the silver lining in a bad situation. We passed through town and headed towards the meadow where I go all the time and where Prim still lays. We stop by her grave and I pick a few wildflowers to replace the now wilted ones that I put there only days ago. I hate the sight of dead flowers so I keep the flowers on Prim's grave always fresh.

"I miss ya, little duck." I whisper and Peeta puts his arm around my waist and pulls me in tight. I squeeze my eyes shut because the reality of Prim's death will never be there and I'll never accept it. I open my eyes and Peeta rests his hand on the simple headstone that was placed behind our old home. We head to the meadows and cross where there used to be a fence preventing anyone who wished to explore. I have to say, without Plutarch, we may not be here right now and I thank him for that. After an hour of talking and hiking through the trees and over rocks and through creeks we reach the lake that I love and makes me think of my father. We sit down on the sandy shore and lean against a log that has washed ashore. I lean into Peeta and we look out at all of the nature that we can finally enjoy without worrying about what may happen if we are caught.

"I don't want him to come here." I blurt out. I can feel Peeta looking down at me.

"Gale?"

"…Yeah." He takes a deep breath and I feel like he's always trying to figure out what to say to me.

"Me neither." It makes me giggle and then so does Peeta. "But we can't stop that. So…we'll just make the best of it." I want to say I don't want to but that would just be immature and I'm trying not to be that way.

"What do you think is going to happen when…when he…finds out?"

"About us?" Peeta asks.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. I hope he's okay with it."

"You know that will never be the case."

"I like to think the best."

"Yeah, I know." I say a little sarcastically but joking.

"What does that mean?" Peeta asks and it's not like we're arguing but we're just playing around and teasing each other.

"You always see the best in everyone and everything."

"I think that's a good thing."

"Most of the time."

"Oh, really?" He asks suspiciously and I shake my head against his chest.

"Yeah, sometimes it's really hard to be made at you or anyone else."

"I don't like it when you're mad." I look up at him and he smiles sweetly at me. He kisses me and then turns back to our amazing view. I sit there wondering about the days in front of us and then I realize that I should be living in the moment and not worrying because I have plenty of time to do that. I stand up and kick my boots off and take off my jacket.

"What are you doing?" I just smile mischievously at him and look at the lake.

"Katniss…" I run for the lake and dive into the freezing water but it's so refreshing. When I come up from the water Peeta's taking off his boots and then his sweatshirt and then his shirt. He runs off of the dock and dives right next to me. I giggle before I gasp for breath as his hands wrap around my waist and pull me under. He pulls my arms around his neck and we kick to the surface of the water. We smile at each other and then laugh. We splash each other and swim around in the water.

"It's f-f-freezing." I say as I huddle against Peeta in the water.

"Here, come on." He pulls me to the dock and get's out before helping me out. We grab out jackets and shoes and run to the little hut that sits just off of the shore. Peeta quickly gets a fire going in the old fireplace. I put on his t-shirt and cover myself up with my jacket while our clothes dry above the fire.

"I don't want to go home." I say with a smile. Peeta smiles at the comment and looks at the floor.

"Me neither. It's nice here." I look at him and get a crazy idea.

"Peeta?" He looks at me, not sure of what is coming next. "What if we don't? What if we just stay here? We can live off of the land and live like this every day?" I am excited and hope that Peeta is too. He smiles at me but I can tell by the look on his face he doesn't seem to agree.

"Katniss…we can't just disappear."

"Why not?"

"What about Haymitch?" He says and I hate that he's right.

"So what?" I try to be cold but it doesn't work.

"We can't just leave. He's the only family that we have even though he may be a pain sometimes…or a lot of the time." I sigh and look down, almost ashamed of myself for thinking of this.

"You're right."

"Hey." He stands up and pulls the chair to the right of me. "Don't be ashamed. I'd love to live in a world of just you and me…but it wouldn't be fair to everyone else if we just took off." I shake my head and Peeta pulls me into him and I'm leaning against his shoulder.

"Plus…this isn't exactly the best place to have kids…"

**Hope you guys like this! The next chapter should be interesting ;) Thanks for the comments and favourites! It is very much appreciated. **


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